


These Dark Paths I Tread

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [33]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Angst, Demons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, gene is a grade a badass, witch gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 09:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20561741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: "Lord, guide my hand," Gene murmured.  "Give me strength."Or, 19 year old Gene has just encountered a demon for the first time.





	These Dark Paths I Tread

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy! :D

_“Lord, grant that I shall never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, or to be loved as to love, with all my heart.” Gene murmured his grandmother’s favorite prayer, head bowed to his hands as he knelt in the pew. Despite the early hour, the church was still dim enough that he could see the steady, heavy flicker of candles behind his eyelids as they cast shadows against the stone. Gene shivered. He had been, almost constantly, since he’d seen what he’d seen in that alleyway, the night before._

_Gene knew evil existed in the world, but he’d never seen it before then. Now it was real, and it was here. And Gene had spent the night awake, frightened. Afraid, for the first time, for his soul. And he’d asked himself circles of questions. Was that a demon? What _was_ a demon? How did one get rid of a demon? _Who_ got rid of demons? Who _could_? Did knowing about a thing make you responsible for doing something about it? What could Gene, do, really? _

_Gene pressed his eyes closed tighter still, until spots of light flickered against the darkness, and he thought again of that girl screaming, choking, as the dark smoke poured into her terrified body. “Lord, guide my hand,” Gene murmured, “give me strength. Show me how I can help that girl.”_

_He sat there for hours, it seemed, and still he found no answers. Finally, though, a shadow fell over him and he raised his eyes to see a priest standing over him, a look of concern on his lined face. “Are you alright, son?”_

_Gene nodded. “’M fine, father,” he answered._

_The priest cocked a brow. “You don’t look fine.” Gene bowed his head, accepting the truth of the statement. “Would you like to talk?” The priest offered._

_Gene shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”_

_Nodding, the priest took a seat in the pew in front of Gene then turned sideways so that he could face him. “What’s troubling you?”_

_Gene sighed, steeled his nerves, then raised his dark, tired eyes to the priest. “Do you believe in evil, father? Real evil?”_

_The priest thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes.”_

_“Have you seen it?”_

_The priest spread his hands wide, as if motioning around him. “In this city? I see it often. It’s everywhere, all around us, all the time.”_

_Gene gulped, knowing that this man was probably speaking of the vice that soaked the city, drowning it in drinking, gambling, prostitution, violence, drugs. Those things were bad. But now Gene had seen worse. Still, the priest was trying to help, so Gene asked, “What do you do about it? When you see it?”_

_The man met Gene’s eyes, and in them, Gene could see the man’s exhaustion, and frustration, but still, a spark. The priest simply looked at him for a moment, then said “I do what I can. That’s all any of us can hope to do. Me. You. We do what we can.”_

_Gene felt a spike of adrenaline pulse through him…or maybe it was fear. Maybe it was something else. “How do you know what you can do?”_

_The priest reached out, softly, and laid an old, but still strong hand over Gene’s where it rested on the back of the pew. “You try.”_

* * *

_Gene took his time finding his way back to Magdalena’s after the church, his feet feeling extra heavy as he did. He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling cold despite the hot, humid air that clung to his skin. _You try._ That’s what the priest had said, and it rang through Gene like church bells. Like truth. He could imagine his grandmother telling him the same. _You try._ He nodded to himself. “I’ve gotta.” He murmured, though he was afraid. Very afraid. _

_He passed another line of “missing” flyers on his way to the shop._

* * *

_He manned the counter and sorted through the stack of books next to him, flipping through the pages, looking for something that might help. Anything. He’d never wished so much before that his mother’s house had a telephone. What he wouldn’t give to call her now and ask for her advice. Ask her what you were supposed to do if you found yourself facing down a devil. What you should do when you’d decided that it was your responsibility to go out and try to find it. Gene sighed. No use wondering and no use crying. His mother didn’t have a phone and she couldn’t help him now. She’d sent him out to see the world. To learn from it._

_Gene flipped through another book and finally, finally found what he was looking for. The words sounded funny when he murmured them under his breath, but he recognized them enough to know they were real. _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas….

_He was learning._

* * *

_That night, the club felt different. The bodies pressing close felt stifling, the mix of perfume and cologne and sweat was cloying and clung to his skin. He wanted a drink. Badly. But he knew that he had to be as clearheaded as he could be for what he was attempting to do. _

_He allowed other dancers to pull him into the throng, and he smiled at them, tightly, but he cast his eyes around the room, looking for the woman from the alley, both hoping for and dreading a glimpse of her. He knew the demon must be stalking among the youth of the city, and what better place than this? But…. Well. What if the demon had taken another body already? Gene shivered and allowed a woman to wrap her arms around him and tug him closer._

_There were too many. Young, vulnerable. Unaware. Just like he’d been. Gene gulped, his eyes skipping over sweaty faces and exposed skin. They all looked the same. All possible victims. All possible monsters. Gene wracked his brain for everything he knew about demons, and realized it was very little. Something about deals and bodies, and temptation. Evil._

_The club bore no fruit, so after, in the early hours of the morning, Gene found himself walking along the back roads toward his apartment. Hands shoved in his pockets, head bent but eyes glancing up through the fringe of his hair, he knew he painted the perfect picture. He passed the flyers of missing young men and women and he knew he looked just like them. He was _one_ of them. He had to do what he could._

_A couple blocks from his apartment, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck and he knew, without a doubt, that he was being watched. Suddenly, adrenaline spiked through his veins and he wanted to run, or turn to look, or _something,_ but he forced himself to keep walking. Behind_ _him, he heard the echo of footsteps and he gulped. In his mind, he began to recite the exorcism he’d made himself memorize earlier in the day. Then he took a left when he should’ve taken a right, and he began to move away from his apartment—he didn’t want to take this thing to his space. Couldn’t bear it. _

_The footsteps continued to follow him, and Gene felt his hands begin to shake where they hid in his pockets. Finally, he could take no more, and he turned, sharply, on his heel, and moved fast enough that he caught a glimpse of the short figure of a man, and the impression of short, curly hair, jeans and a t-shirt, before the figure peeled away from the streetlights and melted into the shadows. Gene’s chest heaved and his eyes searched the darkness frantically. Was that the demon, or a common criminal hoping to rob him? He shivered, again, involuntarily. If it was the demon, it’d already gotten a new body._

_He stared into the darkness for a few more minutes before he continued on his way. Eventually he convinced himself that he was no longer being followed and he allowed himself to return home for the night, though he couldn’t relax enough to sleep._

* * *

_The second night, the paranoia was worse. Any single one of the people at the club could be a demon. How long would it take, to possess someone? And how obvious would it be? Could it happen on the dance floor? Would anyone notice? Maybe the demon lured its next victim to a dark corner, or to a bathroom stall, or out the backdoor and into the alley, and took them. Maybe the press of lips as the music pulsed around them was enough. Gene fought to keep his calm as the crowd pressed closer, and he searched the shadowed faces for signs of demonic possession. What did it even look like, really? _

_A young man grabbed at Gene’s arm as he passed, smirk on his face, but Gene shook his head and shrugged him off, and made his way outside. He couldn’t stay inside for another minute, not without giving himself away. So he started walking. _

_All his hair stood up on end again, only a block from the club this time. Gene didn’t bother waiting though, he turned and again, caught a glimpse of a man. The same one, by the look of his silhouette. He shuddered. Yes, he was definitely being watched and followed._

_So. The demon had a new body. Now Gene just had to wait. Let it get close. And then…well…. And then he’d do what he could._

_He wandered closer to the river, away from his apartment and the limited safety he had in this city, and he was both terrified and gratified to hear the footsteps resume behind him. He kept his steady pace until he came to a cross-street then dodged around the corner into the alley quickly, turning to face the approaching demon. His hands were sweaty and his fingers tingled with…something, and he could hear his heart in his ears, pounding away, counting down the seconds until…._

_The man came around the corner, already searching for Gene, and Gene’s heart stuttered in the second before the man met his eyes. They were so close, Gene could see his blue eyes widen, just for a moment, and then Gene swallowed past the dry lump in his throat and began to stutter out the words that he hoped would save him: _“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,_” he raised his voice just as the man took a step forward. _“Omnis satanica potestas_,” Gene chanted louder, as the man continued to move toward him. Gene took a step back, his heart knocking against his ribs as he realized nothing was happening. It was having no effect._

_The man stopped, finally, a few feet in front of him and cocked his head to the side for a moment before he shook his head and muttered “fuck,” under his breath. He tossed his head back in exasperation then met Gene’s eyes once more. “Are you trying to exorcise me?” The guy asked, incredulous. Gene felt a shudder go through him and he continued, louder than before. “Kid. Stop that. I’m human.”_

_And…what? “What?” Gene murmured, suddenly feeling cold._

_The guy shook his head again, and snorted in frustration. “I’m a human. Not whatever you think I am.” The man crossed his arms and stared keenly at Gene. “Who are you?”_

_“Who am I?” Gene asked, still feeling wary, and now very confused. “You’re the one who was followin’ me! Who are _you_?”_

_The guy rolled his eyes. “Name’s Harry Welsh. I’m a hunter.”_

_Gene frowned, eyes narrowing. “A hunter? Of what?”_

_The guy huffed. “Oh my God. You’re not, are you? A hunter?”_

_“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Gene admitted, suddenly feeling very anxious to get out of the alley._

_“I hunt monsters. That’s why I was following you. I thought you were one.”_

_Gene gaped. “Me?”_

_“Well, yeah.” Harry said. “Something’s been snatching young people in this city and I came to investigate. Figured it was a vampire—goddamn those books, really. Anyway, I figured the club was prime feeding ground, so I went to watch and I noticed one other person there that was more interested in watching than dancing. And that person is you. So. If you’re not a vampire, and you’re not a hunter, what are you?”_

_Gene couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There were people out there who hunted monsters? Maybe his mother had been right—maybe he did need to see more of the world and get a kind of education that she couldn’t give him. If this…if this is what the world was really like, Gene wasn’t prepared. Not at all. “I’m uh….” Gene cleared his throat, but his heart still beat loudly in his ears. “I’m just a human, too.” He focused on calming his breathing. “And you’re wrong. It ain’t a vampire. It’s a demon. And I was lookin’ for it, too.”_

_Harry’s eyes widened comically. “A…demon?” He snorted. “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”_

_Gene shook his head. “I watched it possess a girl three nights ago. I don’t know whether it saw me or not. But I’ve been tryin’ to find it ever since.”_

_“And do what?!” Harry exclaimed. “You can’t kill a demon! Do you know that? You’re just a kid.”_

_Gene shrugged. “I was gonna try to exorcise it. I’m not a, uh…hunter, like you said. But I know what’s right and wrong. And I couldn’t stand by and let this continue. Not when I know betta.”_

_Harry continued to gape at him, in complete disbelief. “So you, a kid, were hunting down a _demon_ in the middle of New Orleans _by yourself_?” Harry shook his head. “That’s a quick way_ _to get dead. Look, kid, if you’re right and this thing is a demon, then it’s way out of your league. You should go home and let the professional handle it.”_

_Gene frowned at him. “A moment ago, you thought it was a vampire.”_

_Harry quirked a brow at him. “Don’t sass me, kid. I heard the trouble on the news. Vampire makes sense. And it’s pretty common around these parts. This isn’t my first rodeo in Louisiana.”_

_“So what are you gonna do?” Gene asked. “Now that you know it’s a demon. What can you do?”_

_Harry shook his head. “Like I said, there’s not much you _can_ do. Can’t kill a demon. Gotta exorcise it. But I’ll take it from here. You should go home. Seriously.”_

_Gene resented the dismissal, but he knew that he wouldn’t get much else from this hunter, so he nodded. “Alright.”_

_He’d begun to walk away when Harry called out to him, as if just realizing his oversight. “Hey, kid, wait a sec! What’s your name?”_

_Gene glanced at the other man over his shoulder for a moment before shrugging and replying “Doesn’t matter.”_

* * *

_For the next two days, Gene went out at night again, despite Harry’s warnings that he should stay home and leave things to the hunter. Gene didn’t doubt that the man knew what he was talking about, at least to some degree, but he didn’t _know_ what Gene knew. Hadn’t _seen.

_When Gene closed his eyes at night, he saw smoke choking that woman in the dark alleyway. Smoke, everywhere. He imagined it flooding into his own mouth, into his own ears, and he’d shudder, cold again. Most nights, he found himself sitting on his thin mattress, arms wrapped around his knees as he prayed and the lights flickered in his little apartment. _

_He had to do something. _Something_. Whatever he could do. No matter what anyone else said. Because he couldn’t accept anything less of himself. He wasn’t raised that way. He’d been raised to fix what he could, and the priest was right—he wouldn’t know what that was until he tried._

_So, walking down streets where only ghosts still tread, Gene continued to look for the demon and avoid the hunter, who he seemed to see more and more of as time went on._

_And then, finally, the demon found him._

* * *

_The night air clung to his skin, close and humid and dank, like the swamp, which was odd for the city. He’d been on edge all day, repeatedly looking over his shoulder, fingers tingling almost constantly. Magdalena had given him the afternoon off with a raise of her eyebrow when the lights in the shop kept flickering. Gene had been trying so hard lately, but he felt powerless, out of control. All he could do was wait and hope and watch. Walk down the dark, lonely streets every single night, hoping that the incarnation of evil found him instead of another young person. Gene still didn’t know whether this gamble would pay off or not, but he had to find out._

_Glancing over his shoulder at a shadow that’d been following him for a couple blocks now, Gene turned the corner and bumped, suddenly, into another person. He pulled his eyes forward and choked on a gasp. The young blonde woman from the alley stood in front of him, smiling with blood staining her teeth and her eyes turned pitch black. Gene scrambled back a step, his heart hammering, breath whooshing out of him. She cocked her head to the side and sniffed the air, her smile growing eerily as she hummed low, in the back of her throat. “Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” she murmured, taking a single step toward him. “And you smell damn good, too.” She sniffed the air again with her dainty nose. “Witch?”_

_Gene shook his head in negation, but couldn’t find his words. _

_“Come now,” she coaxed. “No need to be shy. I can smell the power on you. It’s everywhere—coming right off your skin.” She took another deep breath and her eyes flickered shut in pleasure. “I smelled it five nights ago, too, but I couldn’t be sure, then. I’ve been looking for you. Hoping to find you.”_

_Gene gulped, searching his frozen brain for the words he desperately needed. He tried to take another step back, but found himself stuck. The demon opened her black eyes and fixed him in her sight. “Uh, uh. None of that,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “You and I need to have a conversation. It’s rude to leave when someone’s gone through so much trouble to find you.”_

_“What,” Gene gulped, finally finding his voice, “what do ya want from me?”_

_“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured, flicking her black eyes from his head to his toes and back again. “So many things. Everything.” She took another step toward him. “You’re perfect, you know. So powerful—it’s in your blood. I can tell. You’d make the perfect vessel.” She licked her lips sensuously. “You and I, together… we’d be unstoppable, you know.”_

_“No.” Gene said._

_“No?” She chuckled. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” She put her hand on a hip and cocked it, casually. “I’m a demon, boyo. I don’t need your permission.”_

_“I won’t let you,” Gene said, and he fought against the fear, or the hold, or whatever was paralyzing him. His fingers twitched, and the demon’s dark eyes focused on them, the smile slipping off her lips. _

_“Like I said,” she murmured, “you’re perfect.” Then she raised her eyes to his and took another step toward him. _

_Just then, Harry Welsh stepped from the shadows and began to chant the exorcism, a crucifix held out in front of him. The demon jerked her eyes toward him, snarled, and then threw out a hand toward him, and suddenly, Harry was no longer on his feet. He slammed back into the brick wall behind him, and slid down it, groaning. Gene felt his fingers tingle again, and his feet were suddenly free. The demon, teeth bared, stalked over to Harry, her hand raised like a claw, and she swung it back again. Harry slammed into the building once more._

_“No!” Gene shouted, and suddenly he could move again. He stepped toward the demon. “Don’t touch ‘im!”_

_“I’m gonna kill him,” she hissed, “and then I’m going to take you for a ride, sweetheart.”_

_“Go to Hell,” Gene snarled, and, summoning every bit of power he’d ever felt flow through him, he reached toward her and grasped at the air, then pulled, his muscles straining, and the demon gasped, staggering, before falling to her knees._

_“Bitch,” she hissed._

_“_Exorcizamus te_,” Gene chanted, “_omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas._” He took another step toward her and held, his fists clenching on the air, praying and praying and praying. His lips moved freely now, as if by rote, as he continued the exorcism, and he felt like fire was burning through him, boiling his blood, searing his lungs. _

_The demon tossed her head and cursed, wide black eyes fixed on him. “Stop,” she screeched, “stop!”_

_Gene kept at it, though, his whole body beginning to tremble with the force of holding it back, all of the dark energy rolling off of it. The demon coughed, and black smoke spouted from her mouth._

_“You can’t kill me!” She screamed. “The best you can do is send me to Hell!” She coughed again, tossing her head as more smoke poured from her mouth. “I’ll come back for you! I’ll be back!”_

_Gene began to shake, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but still, he held on, and kept the demon rooted to the street. “_Cessa decipere humanas creaturas,”_ Gene chanted, his eyes fixed on the demon’s black ones. He could feel the weight of the world, for a moment, perched on his_ _shoulders, the spirits of all of those lost, hungry souls standing around them, watching, waiting, and Gene knew that he had to win this fight. He _had_ to._

_“I know who you are, now!” The demon laughed, blood pouring from its nose even as smoke dribbled from its mouth in clinging tendrils. “I know you and I will find you, and when I do, darling, I promise, I will bring you to your knees. I will take everything you love from you and then, when you think you can’t stand it anymore, I’ll take you too. And I’ll use you to do such wicked things. I promise you!”_

_Gene grit his teeth and continued, eyes burning into the demon’s, hands shaking, the air itself shaking, and…the street? The street was shaking, too. The bricks in the alleyway rattled, and still, Gene held on, chanting, finally screaming “_Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos!_” And then, suddenly, finally, a cloud of black poured from the girl’s mouth, seemingly caught fire, and fell, as ash, on the pavement. _

_Then, eyes rolling back in her head, the girl slumped forward, falling, as blood trickled from her mouth._

_Gene gasped, his own body suddenly growing weak, but he unclenched his fists and dashed forward, catching her before she face-planted on the street. He clutched her tight in his arms and then laid her down on the ground. He pressed his fingers under her chin and thanked God, briefly, for the flutter of a pulse he felt. It was faint, but it was enough. Enough._

_He closed his eyes, laid his palms on her—one over her heart, the other on her forehead, and he began to pray, his grandmother’s prayer, the one he’d tattooed onto his own body just weeks before._

_He felt the warmth of God’s power flow through him, from the air and the street, through his veins, and into his hands, before it soaked into her body and began to heal her. She was torn up bad inside—the demon had done that to her—but there was still life there, just enough. Gene began to shake again, and he wobbled on his knees. His head began to swim, but still, he continued to pray and pray and pray. And slowly… slowly, she healed._

_Her eyes flickered open and she gasped, sitting up in shock, in the same moment that Gene wobbled too far and collapsed onto the pavement next to her, his muscles unable to hold him up any longer._

_“Where am I?” She gasped, eyes searching her surroundings frantically. They fixed on Gene, where he lay, prone, huddled, next to her. “Who are you?!” He couldn’t answer her, didn’t have enough energy left for it. So he watched, silent, helpless, as she pushed herself shakily to her feet and, casting another frightened glance around her, dashed out of the alleyway without looking back. Her retreat was the last thing Gene saw before his eyes flickered closed and he lost consciousness._

_He came to a few moments later, face pressed to the dirty pavement, body crumpled awkwardly below him. He hurt all over. He tensed, still, when he heard the shuffle of steps and with shaking arms, he pushed himself up enough to gaze at the figure of Harry Welsh, who stood in front of him, staring at him in wide-eyed shock and awe. They stared at each other for a long moment in the silent street, until finally Harry cleared his throat and said “You’re a witch.” Gene didn’t bother denying it—his whole body hurt and he could barely keep his eyes open. They kept threatening to flicker shut, so heavy. “I’m supposed to hunt creatures like you.” Harry added._

_Gene pushed himself up a bit more and narrowed his eyes at Harry, feeling the stubborn surge of self-preservation flood through his blood. Power swelled in the air around him, and the streetlight flickered. Gene cleared his throat and murmured, “I wouldn’t try it, if I were you.”_

_Harry snorted and nodded, holding his hands up in a sign of truce. He swallowed thickly, obviously still overwhelmed. A trail of blood trickled from his hairline. “I guess I could make an exception. Just this once.” Gene continued to stare at him, wary, but Harry just sighed and pushed away from the wall, taking a step toward him. “Come on, let me help you.” He held out a hand._

_Gene knew it was a gamble, but he also knew that regardless of Harry’s intentions, he was maybe minutes away from passing out. So he decided to trust, this one time, and he reached up, grasping the hunter’s hand._

_Harry heaved Gene to his feet and led him, shakily, down the twisting, desolate streets of the city, until they finally reached a hotel and Harry led him up a flight of stairs, pushed a door open, and, just as Gene’s eyes flickered again for the last time, laid him down on a soft mattress. And then, his body finally pushed to its limit, Gene’s heavy eyes closed and then he was aware no more._

* * *

_When awareness finally came back to him, he groaned, shielding his eyes from the sun that cut a streak across the room. His whole body hurt, like he’d been hit by a truck. Still, sensing that he wasn’t alone, he pushed himself up on his elbows and blinked his eyes open. They landed on Harry Welsh, who sat at the little table in the room. The hunter was looking back at him. “Afternoon,” Harry greeted._

_Gene groaned and shoved himself up further. “How long was I out?”_

_Harry quirked a brow. “Almost two days.”_

_“Shit,” Gene murmured._

_“Yeah. That stunt back there took a lot out of you, huh?”_

_“Guess it did,” Gene conceded sarcastically._

_Harry snorted. “You told me you weren’t a hunter.”_

_“I’m not.” Gene assured him._

_“You handled yourself pretty well against that demon back there.”_

_Gene shrugged._

_“You seem like a pretty handy guy to have around.” Harry waved his hand vaguely. “Even if you are a witch.”_

_Gene frowned. “’M not a witch.” He protested._

_Harry snorted. “Yeah, okay. Whatever you say.” He leveled his blue eyes on Gene. “I was out for a bit, but I came to in time to see what you did back there. To that demon. Then for that girl. You saved her life, you know.”_

_Gene nodded, because yes, he knew. He’d felt the damage inside of her. The demon had done its best to take her with it._

_“So, what do they call you?”_

_Gene raised his eyebrows, considering. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but suddenly, he thought of the demon’s words, “_I know who you are, now! I know you and I will find you, and when I do, darling, I promise, I will bring you to your knees._” Then he remembered Renee’s voice, like it was just yesterday, whispering to him, “_Never give your name away_.” And he thought, finally, that he understood her. So when he met Harry’s eyes again, he cleared his throat and said “They call me ‘Doc.’”_

_Harry frowned. “Doc.”_

_Gene nodded._

_“Well, alright then, Doc. Thanks for saving my life.”_

_Gene nodded. “Thank you for not leaving me in the street.”_

_Harry grinned, then, even if it was still wary. “You’re welcome.” He fidgeted with his hands for a minute, and the room grew tense in the silence, until Harry asked “So, what now?”_

_Gene shrugged. “What do ya mean?”_

_“I mean I came here for the hunt, but it’s over now, so I’ll be headed back home. What about you?”_

_“Oh.” Gene lowered his eyes, because he hadn’t thought about it much. “I guess I’ll stick around fo’ a little bit. Make sure everything is okay.”_

_“Alright.” Harry stood, then. “Well, I have people waiting on me back home. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I left.” He brushed his hands against his pants then fished in his pocket for a card, which he held out to Gene. “Here’s my contact info. If you ever need anything.” Harry nodded toward the card. “I’ll pick up. By the way, the room’s paid up for the next two days, if you need it.”_

_Gene took the card, glancing at the number scrawled in blue pen across it. “Thanks.”_

_“Right.” Harry said, hefting a bag on his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, Doc.” He gave Gene a brief salute and then he left, shutting the door quietly behind him._

* * *

Present

Babe stared, rapt, on the edge of his seat, as Gene finished his story. He watched as his lover folded his arms defensively across his chest and, swallowing thickly, murmured “So, uh…that’s how it started.” He shifted in his seat and flicked his gaze up to meet Babe’s, wary, like he thought that Babe might lash out at him. “I did some research after that, learned what I could in the city. Got the tattoo over my heart, and then I returned to the Bayou a few weeks after that. I warded my home against them, and my parish, and I made sure the demon couldn’t find me there. But, uh… it’s been lookin’ fo’ me, ever since. It don’t know my name, but it’s lookin’ anyway.”

“Jesus,” Babe gasped, finally breaking out of the near-spell he’d been under. He shivered, the cold sweat still coating his skin. That was the scariest shit he’d ever heard, and it made the thing with Sobel look like child’s play. He understood now why Gene hadn’t been worried. _Demons. _Jesus Christ.

“So.” Gene nodded softly. “Now you know.”

Babe gulped. “I don’t really know what to say, Gene.”

Gene shrugged slightly, but his shoulders were still hunched defensively, as if waiting for a blow. “It’s alright, Edward. Ya don’t have ta say anything.”

“I feel like I do, though.” Babe protested. “I just… I don’t think there are words for what I need to say.”

Gene gazed at him for a moment, eyes wary. “Okay.” He cast his gaze around them, where they were still secluded in their booth in the coffee shop. “We should probably get outta here, right?”

“Right.” Babe nodded and stood, but found that his legs were shaky. He was still shaken by the story, by what Gene had faced and endured when he was younger than Babe was now. “Let’s go.”

They walked quietly back to Babe’s house, shoulder to shoulder, but not touching. When they got there, Gene stood awkwardly in the empty kitchen, hugging himself, his dark eyes still fixed on Babe. “Do you want me to leave?” He asked, seriously.

Babe cocked his head, confused, exasperated, and hurt. So hurt. For himself and for Gene, and for the whole situation. Babe snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t be stupid, Gene.” Babe murmured, taking a step toward the other man. “I want you to stay.” He reached out and grasped at Gene’s cold, pale hands, and held them for a moment, while he gazed down into Gene’s dark, vulnerable eyes. “You are brave and beautiful and good,” Babe said, placing Gene’s hands on his waist and maneuvering them closer together. “You’re amazing, Gene. Amazing. I’ve neva met anyone else like you.” Babe wrapped his own hands around Gene’s waist and held on tight, wanting to hold onto him for as long as he could. “You’re so good, Gene. The best person I’ve eva met. And….” Babe gulped. “And I love you.” He whispered.

Gene’s eyes widened and his breath hitched. His gaze flickered across Babe’s face for a second, disbelieving, and Babe decided he wasn’t gonna allow that to go on for a moment more. So he bent his head and pressed his lips chastely against Gene’s, and he held him.

When he finally pulled away, Gene licked his lips and said “I love ya too, Edward.”

Babe nodded and pulled back just an inch. “You look cold, Gene.” He murmured. “Come on upstairs with me, and I’ll warm ya up.”

Gene’s eyes darkened, just a shade, and he allowed Babe to lead him. 

* * *

Later, as the two of them lay tangled under the sheets on Babe’s bed, Babe ran his fingers through Gene’s soft, dark hair and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. And thinking. Finally, he said, “Hey, Gene.”

“Hmmm?” Gene murmured, sounding content.

“You don’t think that demon is the same one that’s stalking Lipton, do you?”

“No,” Gene murmured, raising his fingers to slide, unthinking, across the pentagram tattoo over his heart. “The demon I exorcised in New Orleans called itself Dike.”

**Author's Note:**

> *laughing evilly* 
> 
> Remember, comments and love and keep me motivated! Please let me know what you thought! Also, feel free to come say hi on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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